The perils of malaria have made headline news of late when Cheryl Cole, the popular singer and television reality show judge, was diagnosed with the disease during her recent trip to Tanzania.Cheryl Cole spent several days in intensive care after contracting the potentially fatal disease. She was discharged on Friday and taken to a private clinic to finish recovering, and her family are thrilled her condition is improving. She is expected to rejoin The X Factor as a judge and mentor in the next two months, but is unlikely to perform any of her hit songs in public until 2011.Although not all strains of malaria are life threatening, rough estimations are that there are around 350-500 million cases of the disease each year, killing between one to three million of those infected. Although not common, malaria can be contracted in the United Kingdom, resulting in an average of 9 deaths per year.So what can be done to help prevent the risk of contracting malaria? Some simple steps can be taken to minimise the risk of mosquito bites, and the resulting onset of malaria. These include:Applying an insect repellent containing diethyltoluamide (DEET) to your skin and clothes. If you are allergic to DEET, lemon eucalyptus oil is an alternative, although its not as effective.Spray rooms with an insecticide at dusk and vaporise insecticides during the night. Cover bedroom doors and windows with fine mesh netting.Wear long sleeves, trousers and socks after sunset – ankles are a particular target for mosquitos. Use a mosquito net impregnated with a pyrethroid insecticide such as permethrin over your bed at night.Ensure that your travel insurance provides adequate cover for emergency treatment and, if required, an emergency medical flight back to the United Kingdom.Speak to your doctor as soon as you know your travel dates. They will be able to advise which anti-malaria medication should be taken for your destination, and also offer a pre-travel examination to rule out any other potential risks.As with the case of Cheryl Cole, even with

Cheryl Cole Just One More Malaria Statistic